]
Let
God Take His Wrath Upon Those Who Sin Against Him
Charles e
Whisnant, Pastor/Teacher
Romans
12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the
wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL
REPAY," says the Lord.
Never
3361 yourselves 1438 avenging 1556 beloved 27 but 235 give 1325 place
5117 to wrath 3709 it has been written 1125 indeed 1063 Mine (is)
1473 vengeance 1557 will repay 467 says (the) 3004 Lord 2962
KJV:
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto
wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the
Lord.
Leviticus
19:18; 1 Samuel 25:26,33; Proverbs 24:17, 18, 19,29; Ezekiel 25:12)
Never
-
The English definition of never is not ever; not at any time; at no
time. It refers to the past or the future.
Beloved
(27)
(agapetos from agapao = love; agape) means beloved, dear, very much
loved.
Do
Not Take revenge (1556)
Webster's) = to avenge (as oneself) usually by retaliating in kind or
degree; to inflict injury in return for (revenge an insult); To
inflict pain or injury in return for an injury received. Revenge is
an action of inflicting harm or damage on someone else in retaliation
forharm or damage inflicted on you.,
http://www.yourdictionary.com/revenge
Vengeance
is something done in revenge.
punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense;
retribution - the dispensing or receiving of reward or punishment
especially in the hereafter . Payback, resprisal, requital,
retaliation, retribution, revenge.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vengeance
Forbidden
Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 24:29; Romans 12:17,19; 1 Thessalonians
5:15; 1 Peter 3:9
BUT
LEAVE ROOM FOR THE WRATH OF GOD:
But
-
Here Paul presents the Spirit enabled, supernatural contrast.
Give
place unto wrath.—It
seems best to understand this of “the wrath of God” (indicated in
the Greek, here as elsewhere, by the use of the article). Stand aside
yourself as a mere spectator, and let the wrath of God have free
course to accomplish itself as He shall think well. The other most
plausible interpretation would be, “Give room to the wrath of your
adversary; let it spend itself; resist not evil,” etc., as in
Matthew 5:39. The sense, “Allow time for your own anger to cool,”
cannot be got out of the Greek. The view first stated is to be
preferred.
Wrath
(3709
to swell. conveys the picture of a swelling which eventually bursts,
and thus describes an anger that proceeds from one’s settled
nature. Does not refer to uncontrollable anger to which men are so
prone but to God's settled indignation and controlled passionate
hostile feeling toward sin in all its various manifestations. Settled
indignation means that God’s holiness cannot and will not coexist
with sin in any form whatsoever Is not the momentary, emotional, and
often uncontrolled anger (thumos - 2372) to which human beings are
prone. Is used primarily of God's holy, righteous wrath but
occasionally refers to the wrath of men (see Ephesians 4:31)
FOR
IT IS WRITTEN: (Deuternomy
32:35
Proverbs 25:21,22 cp Matthew 5:43-47)
For
(gar)
is a term of explanation = always pause, ponder and query "for"
when it is used as a term of explanation, relying on your Teacher,
the Spirit, to give you illumination to the meaning of the text and
context.
It
is written -God
said it, that settles it, whether I believe it or not! It is written
should put a stop to every complaint or excuse.
Written
is in
the
perfect tense (gegraphtai) which emphasizes the lasting and binding
authority of that which was written. It has been written at some
point in time in the past (cf Lv 11:44, 19:2, 20:7 were originally
inscribed with a stylus by Moses probably on clay tablets under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit circa 1500BC) and it "stands"
written.
VENGEANCE
IS MINE, I WILL REPAY, SAYS THE LORD:
(Ro 13:4; Deuteronomy 32:35,43; Psalms 94:1-3; Nahum 1:2,3; Hebrews
10:30
Do
not be deceived,
(present imperative + negative ~ stop being deceived, implying some
already were being deceived - remember too that when we are deceived,
by definition we don't even know it!
The
natural instinct is to answer enmity with enmity, and kindliness with
kindliness. There are many people of whom we think well and like, for
no other reason than because we believe that they think well of and
like us. Such a love is really selfishness. In the same fashion,
dislike, and alienation on the part of another naturally reproduce
themselves in our own minds. A dog will stretch its neck to be
patted, and snap at a stick raised to strike it. It requires a strong
effort to master this instinctive tendency, and that effort the
plainest principles of Christian morality require from us all. The
precepts in our text are in twofold form, negative and positive; and
they are closed with a general principle, which includes both these
forms, and much more besides.
I.
We deal with the negative precept.
'Avenge
not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto wrath.'
Do not take the law into your own hands, but leave God's way of
retribution to work itself out.
II.
Take the positive, -- Follow God's way of meeting hostility with
beneficence.
The
great object which every Christian man is bound to have in view is to
win over the enemy and melt away misconceptions and hostility. It is
not from any selfish regard to one's own personal ease that we are so
to act, but because of the sacred regard which Christ has taught us
to cherish for the blessing of peace amongst men, and in order that
we may deliver a brother from the snare, and make him share in the
joys of fellowship with God.
III.
In all life meet and conquer evil with good.
It
implies that in all our lives we have to fight evil, and that it
conquers, and we are beaten when we are led to do it. It is only
conquered by being transformed into good. We overcome our foes when
we win them to be lovers.
